New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, center, chairman of the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, peaks at the beginning of the first meeting of the commission on combating drug addiction and the opioid crisis, Friday, June 16, 2017, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex in Washington. From left are , Dr. Bertha K. Madras, a Harvard Medical School professor who specializes in addiction biology, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, Christie, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, and former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)(Photo11: Susan Walsh, AP)

Kentucky is in the midst of a catastrophic opioid crisis. We see the damage that heroin and other drugs have inflicted on communities across the state. According to a

According to a new poll, one in four adults in Kentucky know someone who has misused prescription pain medication and nearly one in five know someone using heroin. In 2015, 1,273 died from a drug overdose, the third highest death rate in the nation.

It is hard to imagine that it could get worse. But it could and it will if the Senate does not reject the version of the American Health Care Act the House passed on May 4 and develop a plan that prioritizes addiction care.

Fortunately, both Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Rand Paul have been outspoken about the need to address this epidemic, and both have supported strong bipartisan legislation to expand access to addiction treatment.

In a recent op-ed, McConnell outlined his legislative efforts addressing the opioid crisis and pledged that “this issue will continue to remain a top priority until the scourge of drug addiction is behind us.”

In an article by Paul on the issue, he wrote, “Kentucky needs leaders to address the problems plaguing our communities, and I’m determined to continue to lead on this issue.”

Unfortunately, recent reports indicate that the Senate version of the bill may retain many of the provisions from the House version, which will devastate Kentucky’s ability to stem the opioid crisis, including ending the Medicaid expansion, cutting $834 billion in federal Medicaid funds, radically changing the structure of the program through funding caps and removing or drastically weakening protections against insurance discrimination.

The enormous cuts proposed to Medicaid and per capita caps would be devastating in Kentucky, which currently receives 78 percent of the funding for our Medicaid program from the federal government. Over the next 10 years, Kentucky would lose over $4 billion in funding for our Medicaid programs. With over 425,000 Kentuckians currently receiving health coverage through Medicaid, the loss of this funding would mean significant reductions in the number of people and the scope of services eligible for coverage.

In Kentucky alone, federal funds provided through Medicaid expansion offset $30 million in state behavioral health program funding in the first 18 months and led to a 740 percent increase in access to addiction treatment. By providing greater access to treatment, we have an opportunity to not only save lives but also relieve pressure on our correctional systems and law enforcement, freeing up resources for other important needs. Not only are more Kentuckians able to access life-saving addiction treatment, but our state also saves money that it is now able to reinvest in the well-being of our communities.

Before the ACA, almost one million Kentuckians lacked meaningful insurance coverage for substance use disorders. But that changed with the ACA requirement that all insurers cover addiction treatment as part of their essential health benefits. This meant that most Kentuckians with insurance, whether it came from their employer, a state exchange, or Medicaid, have guaranteed coverage for addiction treatment.

McConnell and Paul have pledged to be leaders in the fight against the devastating and escalating opioid crisis. To do so they must fight to maintain Medicaid coverage and reject proposals to impose per capita caps on federal matching funds; to protect the requirement for insurers to include addiction and mental health treatment in health plans; and to maintain protections for people with pre-existing conditions (including addiction), so that we don’t go back to the time when insurers could discriminate against people based on medical histories.

Maintaining strong coverage and access to treatment is critical to stemming this epidemic. The health of Kentuckians and the economic well-being of the state depend on it.

Mike Barry is the CEO of People Advocating Recovery, a statewide group of concerned Kentuckians working to eliminate barriers to recovery from addiction. Paul Samuels is President/Director of the Legal Action Center, a national non-profit organization whose mission is to fight discrimination against people with addiction, HIV/AIDS and criminal records and to advocate for sound policies in those areas.